Sick

As previously mentioned, I've had what can only be chalked up to bad allergies since March. I haven't run a fever or had a sore throat this whole time, thankfully. However, last week Leah spiked a fever, had a sore throat and some coughing for about two days. Then Elias caught whatever it was and has been spending the past few nights sleeping in our room in the playpen. Then Jac caught it (his lasted the shortest, but the cough lingers), and now Zac has it. So Zac is home from work today asleep. I'm not even sure where this mess came from because we're usually careful with germs, especially at church. Who knows?

Needless to say, it's been a fun two weeks, but I'm glad it's getting over with now so we'll all be feeling better for our beach trip next week. Meanwhile, Zac's the only one feeling like crap, so the rest of them are back to normal aside from the occasional cough and runny nose.

I managed to get another periodontal cleaning done last week because I had called them thinking I cracked a molar, but it was discovered to be "just a bruise"... on a tooth? Weird. My gums have improved a little bit since they saw me last, but pregnancy is preventing them from being better. She didn't even have to numb my gums much. I was supposed to have a cleaning back in March, but was sick with a cold, then pregnant, so time kind of slipped by. I go back in December, which is fun to think I'll have a tiny baby accompanying me by then.

Half the fun is to plan the plan

Zac made me a planner for school this year, but I've also used it for almost everything else: meals, appointments, trips, etc. The best part about Zac making this for me is I could choose the size, cover, and how it's laid out. Most convenient. I don't think I've been so organized my whole life.

The way I have it laid out is simple. It basically starts off with when I started teaching. The star colors are their colors for the lesson day: J, L, E. When Jac was in public school, red was bad; green was good; yellow was decent; and blue was outstanding. I'm just sticking to red, green, and yellow. You can see my Ladybug hasn't had the best streak, but she's working on it. Zac said I need to just write their initial in the correct color instead of stars, just to avoid confusion. I may do that in September. I also have our dinner for that night, any appointments coming up, etc. The notes to the side are the Drawing-A-Day titles so I don't have to find the saved pictures on my computer. I also have some detailed bits for the appointments. Zac also printed out some note pages for the individual days, which can be found behind the months on most planners. I put recipes there for whatever we're eating that night or grocery lists, or, for September, what to pack for the beach. It's been my most favorite thing ever having it. I had a planner before, but it was boring and I never used it. I think it even "expired" by the time I found it again (lol). There's also an expense sheet at the back of my planner, so I'm keeping up with bills. I'm still using my other budget book, but the main bills are going with expenses.

Next month, I'm hoping our menus will be a little more fun and varied because I'm getting a little sick of lasagna.

24 weeks, 1 day

Mom traded cars with me this morning so I could drive to my appointment, as well as run a few errands. It felt like a busy day, even though it didn't take much of the day up. I asked Dr. W if there was a chance he delivered at a closer hospital, but he does not. He did say that when I got to 38 to 39 weeks, we'd talk about a possible drug-free induction if everything is going well. I'd prefer to go into labor naturally, but I'm worried about laboring for a 30 to 40-minute drive after making the call to Alex or Mom and waiting for them to arrive at our house to sit with the big kids so we can leave for the hospital. All births are different, sure, but Elias came in three hours. This one might be quicker.

I brought all three kiddos to the appointment, but Jac and Leah stayed in the waiting room with their books while Elias came back to the room with me. They were so good, which usually they are, but they were really good. The big kids just sat reading quietly, they didn't get goofy or act up or argue. They just sat there. The receptionist gushed over them, which made me all fluttery and proud. Elias sat still in his chair, watching the nurse and sitting quietly, not a peep and not a moment of hopping up to wrap himself around my leg. Proud mama is proud. Meanwhile, Bug is doing just fine. His feet are up my left side, while his head is on the right, and the rest of him is making a U shape under my belly. I'm measuring at 25 weeks, but he's just stretched out. Nothing they can do about my sciatic nerve pain, so I'm just going to stick with my cat-cow yoga stretches for some relief.

Pregnancy highlights:

How far along: 24 weeks, 1 day.

Size of baby: Ear of corn!

Total weight gain/loss: I lost a pound, so I've only gained 15 so far.

Maternity clothes: I'm going shopping this weekend because I've outgrown everything that stretches. Even my underwear.

Gender: Boy.

Movement: So much, sometimes sharp jabs that take my breath away.

Best moment this week: Strong heartbeat and lots of little kicks.

We hung out at my parents' after church this evening. Dad's looking alright but his bad eye is infected. He seems content, yet bored with current life. I don't think he's going to the beach with us in September, which may be for the best. He hates long drives and will only want to lay in a bed and watch TV. But, Elias cheered him up a lot. That kiddo wandered in there and just sat and talked to Dad about cars and trucks, asked him about his eye and such. It was precious.

Back To School

Preschool, fourth, and seventh grades have started! So far, our first day back in the routine (and Elias' first day ever) went incredibly smooth. I'm hoping it's a good sign for the majority of the year. I've planned out our schedule up until the end of November because I'm not 100% sure when Bug is arriving and will most likely give the kids a week off school so we can get used to having a new baby around... Again.

Zac made me a planner, as well as school-only art books for the big kids. I found an awesome website Sketch Book Skool that offered a drawing-a-day for all the months of the year, so these new art books will be put to good use. I'm hoping it'll encourage some creativity. Elias is starting with a preschool book I bought from Walmart instead of the material from Abeka. He'll finish ten days before Jac and Leah, but can participate with a page a day using his own crayons. He'll be learning colors, shapes, numbers, art, science, some math, letters, and sounds throughout the year, so I'm excited. My main focus is keeping Elias eager to learn. He only took a single prompt to hold a crayon the correct way, and his sticker reward brings a lot of enthusiasm. He's on the right track! Jac is going to be learning Algebra within the next few weeks, so I'm a little nervous about it. I was never good at Algebra, but I'm going to try working some problems with him to see if I can become more confident. Leah is reviewing a lot of what she learned in third grade, but has been super focused.

Here's to a good year!

Elias is THREE!

My littlest sweetie pie pumpkin is three today!

Every morning, he comes into my room with a cheerful "good mone-in' mom", dragging his blanket behind him. He holds his hand out so I can pull him onto my bed to save him from the monsters on the floor. We snuggle, or he wants to watch TV. He's so sweet and kind, hugging Zac and me tight around the legs, snuggling the older siblings and the pets. He says "I love you so much!" and "Thanks berry much!" or "you welcome,  ha!" He's sassy, but learning that asking nicely with a "please" works while shouting demands does not. He's so funny, too. If his feelings are hurt, he'll flop onto the floor and lie very still, playing dead. Sometimes he'll come tell me "[sibling, parent, pet] is being a jerk to me." I'm trying to teach him to say "mean" but, he can be stubborn about what words he wants to use. At night, Zac and I (as well as Jac and Leah) take turns reading him bedtime stories and right after he gets tucked in, he'll grab me by the arm with, "Don't you leave me!" Sometimes I rock him or sing to him. My belly is getting bigger so he's running out of lap room, but I'll rock him til I can't.

He's a picky eater, favoring red beans and rice, but disliking pizza and most meats. We're working on etiquette when it comes to nose-picking, so if he's caught with his finger in his nose, he'll say, "Can I go hide so I can pick my nose?" He's also drinking out of regular cups without making a mess and he's still potty training.

I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday: "Green cake with a blue flower."

What kind of dinner? "Grits!" then later changed it to "Um, how bout a cheeseburger?"

I'm going to start teaching him preschool things this school year. He knows his alphabet, though has difficulty recognizing letters, can count to 15, and can hold up three fingers when asked how old he is. Walmart and Target have some work books and stickers, so when I pick up school supplies next week, they're on the list.

Friends

Ashley and Mike are moving about an hour away from us this weekend. We've been so used to seeing them every weekend that it's a sad change. A good one, for them, but sad regardless. My relationships with my friends are so important. They're my family. When Emily died, I felt like I would never have that connection to another person ever again. Thankfully, I have a close handful of ones I love so much who stepped in and they give me a place to put that need for connection, regardless of how far away they are. I've had to remove a few friendships in my life and it's never easy letting go of someone I've known a long time. Sometimes, it's just exhausting trying to be a lighthouse for someone who would prefer to stay lost at sea. Meanwhile, Ashley and I have made plans for our families to get together one more time Friday, and from there we will see how to go about getting together as often as we can.

Power Outage

We had an intense storm come through last night, which lasted less than ten minutes. Once it cleared up, I was about to put Elias to bed when our power surprisingly went out. I lit a few candles and Zac and I sat in the dark while the three kids entertained themselves with flashlights and headlamps. Fun stuff. Two hours later and the lights came back on, so we didn't get to bed until after midnight.

Today, Zac took Elias with him to pick up our groceries from Walmart, then we made our weekly trip to the library to return a few books and pick out new ones. Mike and Ashley are moving an hour away from us next weekend, so we made plans to go see them this afternoon. It'll be weird not seeing them often anymore. Ashley is the only local friend I have. However, we're going to work out ways to still hang out. She's going to look for a halfway place where we can meet and sometimes we may even make it an overnight trip.

August

Already August... Just a few more weeks until the Pumpkin Season arrives! Can't wait. The leaves have already lost their deep green and are starting to get lighter.

So far, Leah has lost another tooth. It's been wiggling for the past few weeks, but finally came out. She now has two other wiggly ones to deal with at a later date. I cut Elias' hair off. He's been fussing with it for a while and I looked up some pictures for little boys with straight hair and decided to just buzz it all off. He sat so still and I'm still getting used to his new look. He reminds me of a little Jac, but where Jac was sweet and gentle, Elias is a major goofball like his sister. Meanwhile, my Jac is getting too tall and has outgrown all of his clothes from last year. Time to go Christmas shopping early, I guess. And he's got a mustache... Help.